How to Build a Wooden Fence

How to Build a Wooden Fence?

A wooden fence is a good way to keep your dogs within the premises of your house and to guard your privacy. However, before you start building the fence, it is essential to do several things like:

  • Take requisite permission from the Building Department and HOA (Homeowners Association).
  • Talk to your neighbors about your intention to build a fence around your lawn.
  • Call the telephone, sewage, electrical and water companies to ascertain the actual position of the cables and pipes.
  • Decide whether to erect the fence on all four sides of your lawn or only three sides.
  • Consider leveling the uneven lawn before erecting the wooden fence.

Once, you have completed all the above tasks, measure the perimeter of your lawn to determine how many panels you would need. If you are using 6-feet panels, then you would have to divide the total perimeter by 6. Do add a few extra panels to cope up with messy situations. Pretreated lumber is considered to be the best for the fence. However, if you decide not to use pretreated lumber, then paint the fence before installation or immediately after setting it up. Staining is important because the elements of nature will start acting upon your wooden fence, the moment you install it, and they will cause more harm than merely turning the wood gray.
You would need the following building materials:

  • 6-feet by 8-feet fence panels
  • 4-inches by 4-inches by 8-feet posts
  • Concrete
  • 2-inches deck screws
  • Pre-hinged gate
  • Latch for the gate

The tools that would be required are measuring tape, wheelbarrow, post hole digger, either electric or manual, screwdriver, saw, hammer, and level.

If you decide to install fence only on three sides of your lawn, then place 4’’x4’’ post in one corner of your lawn.  For this, dig a hole with the help of post hole digger, place the 4’’x4’’ post and pour concrete. To make sure that the post stays in position until the concrete sets, brace it with scrap lumber. For the second post, dig a hole and place the post such that the center of this post is exactly 8-feet away from the center of the first post. Pour concrete and brace the post. Repeat the process for the remaining two side of your lawn.

Once, all the 4’’x4’’ posts have been erected, you should start attaching the panels to the posts. Use deck screws to fasten the panels to the posts on either side. There should be at least 2 screws 12-inches down the length of the post. Repeat the process until all the panels have been installed.

For installing the gate, there should be posts on either side. Mark the position of the hinges on the posts. With the help of the drill, make holes and then use deck screws to attach the gate to the posts. The latch should be attached to the fence. With this step, the wooden fence has been erected all around your garden.